Healthy Homes Assessment Plimmerton

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Plimmerton rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

• Draught Stopping
• Heating
• Insulation
• Ventilation
• Moisture Ingress & Drainage

We will evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks that needs to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Plimmerton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Plimmerton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is important to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are given for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and request a house inspection performed on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent from New Zealand and Plimmerton, and research has shown that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Plimmerton rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Plimmerton rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Plimmerton Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Plimmerton

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in households. A damp home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out into the house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Plimmerton

Plimmerton rental properties must have a fixed heating source which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it should include the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it might just need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Plimmerton

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that dry air is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your property with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Plimmerton

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes more easy to the household to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Plimmerton Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the property. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Plimmerton

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Plimmerton include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Plimmerton for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during the house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home assessment.